National Republican., 1887-03-19
Breakfast Table Letter to the presidon.

Breakfast Table Letter to the President.
Mn. PRESIDENT: Virginia was tho first state
where the Democratic leaders demanded that
your administration should cut of the official
heads Of Republican ofliceholders, from the
highest position down to and including fourth.
class postmasters ichich icds done, In the last
Presidential election all wel.informed Repub-
licans believe that the Democratic party in
Virginia was defeated and that the count
which gave 1t the state was a fraudulent
one. The Republican majority last fall Of
about 22,000 on the congressional ticket was
obtained by an honest vote and count. These
facts are worthy Of consideration In making
future estimates of the political status of the
"old Dominion"
The Generalization produced by the in
capacity Of the Democratic House of Repre-
sentatives of the forty ninth Congress on the
Democracy of Virginia is best illustrated by
the sneaSing tactics resorted to to elect n
state senator to fill a vacancy. For informa.
tlon in detail of these tactics please read the
following secret circular, which evidently was
nut lutcuuSu luc puUllC.
DEAR SIR: At Democratic convention held
at Blackstone on the I'd OF March, composed of
delegates of the twenty-eighth senatorial dis.
trict Of Virginia, comprising the counties of
Nottoway, Lunenburg and Brunswick, Mai,
p. E. Harris, Of Blackstone, was nominated as
the Democratic standard bearer to succeed
W. T. Gaines. who has resigned. in the state
senate of Virginia. AS the time is too short
Tnr Tot ,riG 10, aI.ao tInr q
the district, the convention assembled ap.
pointed the undersigned committee to draft a
secret circular, addressed to each Democratic
voter urging him to be present at the polls on
the 18th Of March, and impressing him with the
importance of keeping the movement a secret
from the Republicans, as we are
endeavoring to catch the enemy
mapping The Republicans have no
| idea that we have q candidate In the field,
hence we think all that is necessary to elect
Maj. Harris Is for the Democrats to poll their
full strength. This is the only opportunity
which has occurred since the war to elect
Democratic senator from this district. Do not
let us be defeated for the want of interes. or
failure to attend the polls on election day on
he 12ih Of March.
Owing to the very short time which inter.
venes between now and election day the Re-
| publiCans will have no time in which to organ
| i2e or 10 apprise their voters of the coming
| election. They have made no nomination as
| yet, and ii seems that all Of the leaders are
| aspirants for the Office.
Taking these facts into consideration you
| cannot fail to see that we have every advant-
age of them.
That this circular and information may no.
fall by mistake into the hands OF a Republican
we have decided not to attempt to notify all
that We suppose to be trustworthy Democrats
in your immediate height ornood. So we rely
on yoW to make known this opportunity to the
| Democrats Of your neighborhood and impress
| upon them the Importance of secrecy IN the
matter and Of going to the polls, and Of seeing
that your precinct votes Its Democratic
I strength. Very respectfully,
| J. W. BAILEY, of Brunswick County.
| i. 7. RuDD, of Lunenburg County.
| SAMUEL HURT, Of Nottoway County.
| Mr.. President, the strangling of the Blair
educational bill, the defeat OF the removal of
the war tax upon tobacco by Speaker Carlisle
the gag tactics in Congress to defeat all legls.
lation for the removal of taxation or the ap-
| preparation of the surplus money In the treas
ury, the utter refusal OF the Democratic House
tions, has left the poor old Democracy of Vir-
| ginia, as dernier resort the tactcs of q
sneak. Open, honest, manly discussion they
know full well would increase the haHiblican
majority. Cas-
| Perhaps your failure to sign the river and
| herbor bill has made them faint hearted, de-
stroyed their pluck, or 1t may be that they
know that Virginia would go overwhelmingly
for Republican ideas and policies in an open,
bold canvass. with fair vote and an honest
count.
Notwithstanding the sneak tactics recon-.
mended in the secret circular, Maj, p. Z. Har'
ris, of Blackstone, the Democratic candidate,
was defeated by about two thousand majority.
Gov. Lee has called an extra ses-
sion Of the Virginia legislature to
deal with questions that the Democracy
of That commonwealth have time and again
demonstrated their incapacity to legslate
upon. II is the effort of demoralized gov
eTnor calling together q demoralized Demo
cratic legislature to again expose to public
view that they are as unfit to legislate for Vir-
! giniG as the Democratic House Of Representa-
ives Of the Forty.ninth Congress was for the
nation.
Mr.. President, in rsaking estimates for 1855
place the vote of the old mother Of states and
Statesmen for the Republican nominee, for Me
ahiie rotsrs are diridcd. Perhaps an extra ses-
sion of Congress would give the Democracy one
more chance to redeem themselves.
IHE NATIONAL REPUBLICAN.
An Extra Session in October.
The opinion seems to gain ground that there
| Will be an extra session OF Congress, but 4,